Without waiting for the men to answer, the menagerie proprietor examined the great fetters himself.
“Look sharp,” he shouted; “quick with that water before he spoils all the hay.”
One man had hurried off to the pump with a couple of empty buckets, while the others seized upon the truss which the elephant was disturbing, but only to drop it directly, for the captive just lightly waved its trunk right and left, and the men were sent flying in different directions.
Phoompf snorted the tyrant, and immediately went on picking up and scattering the hay all around it, thickly covering the grass.
“Well, I suppose we had better get down now, hadn’t we?” cried Glyn.
“Yes, sir—no, sir. Just wait a little bit, please,” cried Ramball. “You’re a-keeping of him quiet; only I don’t want this ’ere to be made a free gratus exhibition for everybody to see. It’s a cutting off my profits. Hi, there, some of you! why don’t you shut them gates?” he shouted to certain of his men who were driving in the latter half of the line of yellow vans.
“Can’t get the rest in if we do, sir,” came back.
“No, of course they can’t,” grunted their master, looking up at the two lads. “Things is going awkward to-day, and no mistake.—Oh, here comes the water,” he continued, speaking now to Singh. “I dare say that will cool him down. Just say a word to him, sir, and tell him to drink.”
“Tell the men to put the buckets down before him,” replied Singh; and as the water-bearer drew near the elephant evidently scented the refreshing fluid, and uttered a sonorous snort.
Directly after, as the man nervously set down the brimming buckets, anxiously watching the waving trunk the while, and leaping away as he saw it coming towards him, the tip of the great hose-like organ was thrust into the first vessel, there was a low sound of suction as many quarts were drawn up, and then the end was curled under, thrust right back into the huge creature’s mouth, and then there was a loud squirting sound like a fire-engine beginning to play to put out the animal’s burning thirst.